The reason jobs are so hard to get may be hinged on the fact that you as the employee are not marketable enough for the job. Sometimes, the reason is with the Hiring Organization. Another factor that may hinder your job search is ATS software relied on by many hiring firms. Since there are a large number of applicants, Recruiters may not have the luxury of time to check through your Résumé. Hence, you are at the mercy of the Software, which may not be very kind when it filters your CV out as irrelevant to the application or Job Description. In this article, we will discuss why jobs are so hard to get and give you expert tips on how to get employed in 2024. 

Why are Jobs so Hard to Get? 

• More College Degrees on the Job Market: 

Gone are the days when we have only a limited amount of people with a college degree. In a recent publication by Forbes titled “Percentage of U.S. Adults with College Degree or Postsecondary Credentials,” A report noted that the number of United States adults aged 25 to 64 with a college degree in 2009 was 37.9%, increasing to 53.9% in 2021, representing a 16 percentage point in the 15 years under comparison by Lumina Foundations, which has kept tabs on educational attainment level and set goals to achieve in the years under consideration for all states. 

These numbers are projected to grow before 2025 due to the enthusiasm amongst youths to acquire a college degree and scholarship opportunities on the rampage.  

That means that the value of your degree may wane due to degree competition. Thus, it makes it hard for you to get employed. To set yourself apart, we recommend having other skills, such as Project Management, Leadership skills, etc. that set you apart from other college degree graduates and help you get a job easily. 

• Not Enough Work Experience or Lack of It: 

It is a big risk many Hiring Managers do not want to take, hiring a candidate with no prior work experience or whose experience is quite limited. Though some organizations take such risks, they are rare.  

Imagine competing for jobs with those who already have experience in the role. It is not hard to understand they are in line to get employed before you. And that is a reason why jobs are hard to get. 

To remedy this defect and be more job-ready, People Connect advises you to take Internship positions, Graduate Trainee, Externships, Apprenticeships positions, etc. 

A report by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has shown that 60% of Paid Internships are more prone to receiving offers than those who just graduated with no Internship experience or those not looking to get one. Here is how to turn an internship into a job. 

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) recommends that to stand out to employers in the 2023 competitive job market, you should gain internship experience, highlight the same and skills in your Résumé and during Interview sessions. 

• You do not align your Résumé for the Job 

It is very easy to ask “Why are jobs so hard to get?” and blame the world and recruiters for not offering you a job. But have you critically examined what you do wrong when you apply for a vacancy? Yes, you might have acquired some experience in the Food Industry, Cloth, and Fashion Industries. But when applying for a job in the Banking or Medical industry, you must only adorn your Résumé with work related to that industry alone.  

It is understandable you might want to impress with a 2, 3, or 4+ page Résumé with all the different internships, work experience, and skills you have acquired over the years. But that is the surest way of not getting called or scheduled for the first round of interviews. It is imperative to note that many recruiting firms now use ATS, a software to narrow down CVs for jobs, and some of these are programmed to pick keywords that align with the Job Description from your CV. If the software sees experience unrelated to the Job Title or Description, your CV will be filtered out, and that is the end of your application. 

Free Resume Builder advises tailoring your resume to the job applied for. If you are applying for the position of Customer Care Representative, you should mention and highlight only skills and experience related to customer care alone. 

• Problem with your Network: 

You might possess all the skills, experience, and certification but still find it hard to get a job, especially if you do not have the required network. Networking has become so important in the present-day job market if you want to get or change jobs. Zippia suggests going out there to talk to those who make decisions in your field. Learn more on How to connect with professionals. 

• Internal Recruitment: 

Jobs are so hard to get because most recruitment exercises are not advertised on Job Boards. They take place internally. Thus, it is imperative that you have references who can provide you with information or refer your CV to their organizations when the need arises for internal recruitment. One sure way to get references is through Internship and networking. 

• The gap in employment: 

Your job hunt might be hopeless because you have been out of a job for so long that a gap has been created, which you now find hard to fill. When you are out of a job, take the time you spend away to acquire skills or certification. That is the only way you are sure to close the gap in employment and be ready when they come because they will definitely come with your additional skills and certification. 

It is advisable to acquire skills and certification in the same industry or career space for easy employment access. But that does not limit you if your dream is to switch careers. 

• Being a Job Hopper 

It will be extremely hard to get jobs when your Résumé shows that you have held multiple jobs over a short period of time. The rate at which you change jobs becomes alarming, and no employer looking to recruit an individual for a long-term basis will consider you. 

Free Résumé Builder says lots of resources go into the hiring process, and recruiters will find it hard to select a candidate who will get bored quickly on the job to seek another job almost immediately, thereby wasting resources. 

• Being Overqualified: 

You know being overqualified should never be an issue. But then, recruiters are conscious an overly qualified individual might leave the role when they find an employment that matches their competencies or excites them. 

• You perform poorly at Interviews: 

Scaling Interviews is a skill acquired over a period of time with experience. You only get better as you attend interviews. Therefore, you might have performed badly in a previous interview, and that is the reason jobs are so hard for you to get. However, practice, they say, makes perfect. The more you practice how to succeed in an interview, the greater your chances of landing a job. 

• Incompetent Recruiting Firms: 

Nowadays, many companies outsource their Human Resources and Recruitment process to consultants. And more often than not, most of these HR Consultancies do not have what is needed to recruit a competent candidate for the job.  

You will find that most of them dub Job descriptions and Requirements that are unrealistic to the position being advertised. As a result, few people might qualify to apply, but those who qualify are not guaranteed the position. 

Conclusion 

Understanding why jobs are so hard to get is the first step to landing your dream job. We have highlighted some reasons you find it hard to get a job and have provided solutions and tips to address the issues. We advise that you should be patient during your job search and application because it takes an average of 9 weeks (about two ‘2’ months) to find a job, and factors such as the poor economy and limited job offers can slow down or make the process longer. But with consistency and following the above recommendations, you will land your dream job soonest. Good luck!!!